ug‧ly [uhg-lee] offensive to the sense of beauty; displeasing in appearance

educating your own judgements

by theuglyearring

“Ideally, what should be said to every child, repeatedly, throughout his or her school life is something like this: ‘You are in the process of being indoctrinated. We have not yet evolved a system of education that is not a system of indoctrination. We are sorry, but it is the best we can do. What you are being taught here is an amalgam of current prejudice and the choices of this particular culture. The slightest look at history will show how impermanent these must be. You are being taught by people who have been able to accommodate themselves to a regime of thought laid down by their predecessors. It is a self-perpetuating system. Those of you who are more robust and individual than others will be encouraged to leave and find ways of educating yourself — educating your own judgments. Those that stay must remember, always, and all the time, that they are being molded and patterned to fit into the narrow and particular needs of this particular society.”

Just read this to my 16 year old. She smiled and laughed. Will read it to the 10 year old today. Important to remember as opinion overwhelms education. Orwell is rolling in his grave as Huckleberry Finn is rewritten…

profound,and completely true. John Holt was a pioneer of a radical concept that children learn what they need to learn,when they need to learn it. we must trust them to know that,which is where we as adults fail. thank you for sharing.